Suburban Nation

The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream

Presented by Jessica Morton, Joe Dumais, and Katie Hooker

Written by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck

Authors’ Information

Duany and Plater-Zyberk work at a firm designing community-based neighborhoods.

Speck works with them as the director of town planning

Plater-Zyberk works as the Dean

of the School of Architecture at

the University of Miami.

Sprawl Investigation

What is sprawl? Where does it come from and what are the

ramifications?

Why should we care about sprawl? What problems does it pose and what are the

health risks?

What can we do about sprawl? What are the alternatives to sprawl and how

can we change our neighborhoods?

Introduction Faulty, outdated procedure has economic and

quality of life impacts. Suburban sprawl is a symptom of this faulty system; the answer is a return to traditional neighborhood models.

“The deck [is] already stacked against healthy growth by municipal regulations and engineering conventions.” (101)

These conclusions are made with the understanding that:

1. Growth cannot be stopped2. Profit-motive is not the problem with

development3. Most issues are inter-related

What is Sprawl?

Photo obtained from Jstor.

Defining Sprawl

Origins

Components

Consequences

Defining Sprawl Sprawl - To be distributed in an awkward or

uneven manner, esp. as to take up more space than is necessary.

Suburban Sprawl – Unchecked, uncoordinated, haphazard growth outward, esp. resulting from real estate development on the outskirts of a city. The spreading of urban development into areas adjoining the edge of a city.

Obtained on Google images

The Origins of Sprawl The popularity of the automobile Policies of such programs as the Federal Housing

Administration and the Veterans Administration “As long as zoning codes favor low-density development over

the creation of compact communities, developers will not be able to shake their reputation as land rapists, as they turn farm after farm into cookie-cutter sprawl.” (100)

“Even more culpable in this scenario are those surprisingly powerful advisors to the development industry, the market experts.” (101)

Photo obtained from Google.

Levittown, the original subdivision

Sprawl Planning Decisions: Creating the Components of Sprawl

Low-density land useSingle-use zoningFast food chains, built at sites of future

developmentFocus on highway and parking

infrastructure over public spaces

The Components of Sprawl

Housing subdivisions Shopping centers Business parks Civic institutions Roadways

All photos were obtained from Google.

Consequences of Sprawl

Car-dependent communitiesIncreased fossil fuel reliance and pollutionTraffic congestion and increased traffic

fatalitiesDecline in social capitalClass segregation in residential areas

(housing types grouped together, like with like, McMansion with McMansion)

Increased likelihood of obesity and crime

Suburban Sprawl Unmasked

“Subdivisions can be identified as such by their contrived names, which tend towards the romantic – Pheasant Mill Crossing – and often pay tribute to the natural or historic resource they have displaced.” (5)

“The contemporary office park is usually made of boxes in parking lots. Still imagined as a pastoral workplace isolated in nature…in practice it is more likely to be surrounded by highways than by countryside.” (6)

If it has…

A centerA five-minute walkA street networkNarrow, versatile streetsMixed-use zoningSpecial building sites (example: areas for

a farmers market)

…then it’s not sprawl

Sprawl Models

Sprawl Resistant: Traditional Neighborhood Model

www.dpz.com

Photos obtained from Google

*Activity*

Here’s your neighborhood problem: traffic congestion

Tools you can use to combat it: design, policy, or management

An example: You can choose to solve the problem of crime by using design – eliminating potential hiding places and using beautiful and durable materials to display high standards of civic care; by using policy – having zoning regulations require entries and windows to face public spaces; or by using management – having the local cops get to know residents and develop a relationship with the community

Problems of Urban Sprawl

ZoningIsolation and SegregationReliance on Cars and the Traffic ProblemLack of communityResources inefficiencyLoss of talent/jobs/resources for cities

The Problem with Zoning

Tends to make more efficient mixed land use illegal.

Separates everything from everything else.

Promotes auto-travel reliant society.Creates segregated blocks of space rather

than communities.

Isolation and Segregation

Creates isolated blocks of space rather than integrated communities

Segregates residents by separating housing types

Creates a “Move out to move up” lifestyle

Isolation and Segregation

Leads to Fragile NeighborhoodsEnforces sameness and encourages

discrimination and intolerance.

All photos were obtained from Google.

Reliance on Cars and the Traffic Problem

Creates an area entirely dependent on cars for travel

Because of this dependence, design focuses on unimpeded auto travel.

While good for cars, this is detrimental to other forms of travel such as walking or biking

Pedestrian danger increases as well as drivers feel safer speeding and driving carelessly

Reliance on Cars and the Traffic Problem

The Auto-reliant system requires massive road construction

As more roads are constructed, more people take advantage of them producing induced traffic congestion

Traffic congestion motivates construction of more new roads, which in turn induce more traffic

The Lack of Community in the Sprawl

The highly segregated car dependent system requires people to spend much of their time driving

Instead of interacting meaningfully with others, people spend most of their time competing with them for road access

The Lack of Community in the Sprawl

Remaining time not spent driving is spent confined in the cookie cutter housing cluster

With nothing to differentiate any given suburban sprawl area from another, a sense of unique place fails to develop

Without a sense of place or opportunities to meaningfully interact with each other, communities fail to form and people are left in a void

Resource Inefficiency

New Suburban sprawl areas require massive amounts of resource expenditure to create.

The isolated and auto-reliant setup waste huge amounts of time and energy in transit

Huge amounts of resources are also expended on maintaining and expanding roadways

What the Cities Lose

Suburbs are perceived as better places to live, thus those who can leave the cities do so

Businesses leave along with the people The poor who are unable to leave are left

behind in an economically weakening area This leaves cities with a shrinking resource

base with which to try and deal with increasing problems

What the Cities Lose

This in turn further motivates people to leave, which further worsens the situation, creating a vicious cycle

All photos were obtained from Google.

The Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) Model

Model Exceptions:

Old communities No population growth Where city infill is

possible When it will promote:

Unnecessary automobile use

Unnecessary greenfield development

The Duany, Plater-Zyberk, and Speck Plan

1. Mixed-use development

2. Connectivity

3. Discipline of the neighborhood

4. Making transit work

www.Google.com/images

Mixed-Use Development

1. Residence

2. Shopping center

3. Workplace

4. Civic buildings

Connectivity

Neighborhoods should meet

Avoid collector roads

Highways should skirt towns

Discipline of the Neighborhood

Pedestrian Shed “the five minute walk”

Use natural features Zone buildings by size “Pocket parks” Culture to nature Urban to rural

Rural preserve Suburban General urban

Urban center

Urbancore

Making Transit Work

1. Frequent and predictable

2. Direct, logical route

3. Safe and dignified stops

www.tfhrc.gov

The Specifics of the TND Plan

1. The Streets

2. The Buildings

3. The Parking

4. The Style

The Streets

Residential street Yield streets

Travel lanes 10 ft. Parking lanes 7 ft.

Westhaven

Katrina Cottage

The Buildings Houses close to

street Encourage sociability Retail without

setbacks Taller is better

Parking and Style

Mixed-use parking

“If every building were to croon at once, nothing could be discerned from the cacophony” (211).

*Activity* ~ let’s try it again Here’s your neighborhood problem:

traffic congestion

Tools you can use to combat it: design, policy, or management. Use the knowledge we’ve given you; try utilizing a different tool this time.

An example: You can choose to combat the problem of crime by using design – eliminating potential hiding places and using beautiful and durable materials to display high standards of civic care; by using policy – having zoning regulations require entries and windows to face public spaces; or by using management – having the local cops get to know residents and develop a relationship with the community

Government

MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOV Agenda setting Rewrite regulations TND ordinance Be proactive Think Globally Public participation Set an example

REGIONAL GOV Create strong regional

governments Create detailed plans Create physical plans

Government cont.

STATE GOV “Tough love” programs Affordable housing Educational goals

FEDERAL GOV Public transportation Tax policies Federal incentives Equal education

resource distribution Coordinate policies Public support for

Private initiatives

Conclusion

A faulty, misguided system gives birth to suburban sprawl, which needs to be replaced by healthy, traditional neighborhood models.

Batavia, Illinois Appleton, Wisconsin Portland, Oregon

Discussion:

1. Of your solutions to the traffic congestion problem, which would be most effective? Why?

2. How realistic is the TND model?

3. How do the authors’ professions affect your opinion of their solution?